Vet's In Alaska

I am getting ready to leave Noam Alaska after ten days of teaching and learning. The first four days I taught a group of Native Alaskan heath care workers about Directive Group Therapy, a form of group psychotherapy that I have developed working at Four Winds Hospital for the past twenty years. Many of these folks came from surrounding Native villages where they provide the primary care for the residences. There is and epidemic of alcoholism and suicide in all of these villages.

The remainder of the time my wife Helise and I spent visiting Native villages and enjoying the fantastic landscape. Each place I sought out veterans to speak with. I am hoping to put together a vets gathering here in Noam next year with the help of my friend Greg Smith who works for Norton Sound Health Corporation. Greg was an invaluable contact person who set up my coming to Noam.

Yesterday Greg and I flew in a bush plane out to the small village of Golovin. There are a hundred and fifty folks in the village and around ten vets. A man named Duane or “Bear” who was part of my workshop in Noam lives in Golovin and he introduced me to a vet named Tom who was in Vietnam 1967-68. Tom and I spent several hours talking about life on Golovin and our experience in Vietnam. I will be telling you about Tom in the blog after I get home and settled.